Cervix and ovarian cancer specialists Lesa Dawson, Catherine Popadiuk and Patti Power all resigned because they felt powerless to treat cancer patients due to the province's tight finances.
"They feel they're losing the skills that they've been taught, and by virtue of that, they're not treating patients adequately," said Elizabeth Callahan, president of the province's medical association.
Another reason cited for the resignations was poor pay, worsened by a $75,000 grant to provide salary hikes only for breast cancer experts.
The three female oncologists have a combined medical experience of 21 years. Newfoundland's financial problems have taken a toll on the health regime for the province, which has double the cervical cancer rate than the national average.
However, there are questions about the wisdom of Wiseman's temporary solution. Across Canada, there are only about 60 practicing gynecological oncologists, whose schedules are already booked up with patients from their provinces.
The physician shortage is a problem across Canada, and is more acute in remote provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador.
To address the shortage of doctors in the province, Wiseman launched an ongoing recruitment drive. On July 11, the provincial health minister announced 17 of 21 new family medicine graduates from Memorial University will practice in Newfoundland and Labrador, mostly in rural areas.
